Fix Your Blisters Early
Scissors Crossing to Barrel Springs
(PCT Mile 76.96 to 79.50)
Oh man. What a long day it was. 24 miles all along some pretty challenging but ultimately awe-inspiring terrain. For those of you keeping track at home, today was the first day since we started that my dad and I had zero guests with us. For a long while we hiked in relative silence, each of us finding our footing and pace for the day.
After some time we did get to talking and didn't stop for a long time. Our conversation covered more than I can remember, and we dove into such a huge range and depth of topics. We started with early thoughts on how everything was feeling so far and eventually wound our way into analyzing the benefits and detriments of social media (spoiler alert: we decided that just like everything in life, it needs to be balanced).
Although it's still very early in our journey, our conversation turned to what each of us dreams of doing next. It was really exciting to hear about how much more he wants to travel with my mom, and just how much more adventure he has on his mind now that he's retired. On my end we talked about how even now, after only a taste of the PCT, it's hard not to picture going after the CDT and the AT, claiming the Triple Crown of American thru-hiking. On the professional side who knows what that would mean for me, a monster to be tackled at a later date.
The most important theme underlying this entire conversation was how vital it is to keep moving forward. When you keep moving forward, both on the trail and in life, you will ultimately get where you need to go. The trail isn't going anywhere, the responsibility falls to you to make sure you get up and do something about it.
I told my dad I had been thinking this momentum with regards to our gear as well. When you think of it all as a system that has to cooperate, you realize the importance of implementing things that will compound in a positive way. Take an umbrella into the desert so you're always covered in shade so you can take off your hat and stay even cooler so you're not getting dehydrated so you can walk further faster and enjoy your time more. It all adds up.
I think the same is true for life. Very rarely (if ever) are you in a situation that is purely neutral. It is much more likely that things in your life are acting in a compounding way. Once you realize this, you've gotta ask yourself, "Am I taking steps so my life is compounding in a positive direction or negative direction?" There is no neutral.
Part of the way through this talk I felt something forming on the back of my heel (my ultimate problem spot for over a year). I ignored it (and my own advice) for a little while before my dad finally had us stop to readjust my foot-wear. By this time I was in a decent amount of pain, and was cussing at my shoes and myself out of frustration and knowing what the rest of the day would have in store. My dad was patient and able to talk me down a little bit reminding me that if we stopped now to do the right thing, *MAYBE* we could save it. We did, and it was.
If you think you feel a blister coming on, address it early. Otherwise it might just be the one that ruins your day.
